Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

From the Prologue onward, The Keeper of Stars is engaged in an argument about the role that fate plays in determining the outcome of people’s lives. The Prologue begins with an epigraph, an Anaïs Nin quote: “You don’t find love. It finds you. It’s got a little bit to do with destiny, fate, and what’s written in the stars” (3). Shortly afterward, Jack comments that he “[believes] that we are the authors of our own destiny, endowed by the Almighty with the power to choose our own paths, and, when necessary, to rewrite the stars” (3). Both sides of this argument are supported by the events of Jack’s and Ellie’s lives, suggesting that the truth lies somewhere in the middle—that a person’s destiny is determined by both internal and external factors. Luck, chance, and circumstances play a role during a person’s life, but a person’s determination, planning, hard work, and courage also matter and can shape and reshape destiny.

One of Jack’s first goals in life is to own a house on the hill in Sims Chapel. He is particularly taken by Clara’s home—and, eventually, he does come into possession of this house.